Process for the manufacture of galvanic metal reproductions of articles of the plastic arts.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL BENSINGER, OF MANNHEIM, GERMANY.

PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GALVANIC METAL REPRODUCTIONS OF ARTICLES OF THE PLASTIC ARTS.

No Drawing.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL Bnnsmona, of Mannheim, Germany, a subject of the Grr ud Duke of Baden, and whose post-ofiice address is L. 11, 17, Mannheim, in the Grand Duchy of Baden, German Empire, have invented a new and useful Improved Process for the Manufacture of Galvanic Metal Reproductions of Articles of the Plastic Arts;-

and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of my invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. i

The method of manufacturing metal articles by the galvanoplastic process necessitates, as first and most important stage of Work, some suitable material which has to receive first the outward form of the article to be manufactured and then the metal covering in the galvanic bath.

The manufacturers of galvanoplastic Wales have never been able to find in one material all the qualities demanded and the reproductions have suffered severely under this difiiculty; thus plaster of Paris has among its many good points the very 0bjectionable feature of absorbing the acids of the bath and is so breakable that the pro truding parts of a figure or group of figures are in great danger of breaking.

Glue and gelatin change their form too much in drying and in the plastic state they are not rigid enough to support the metal. All materials did not transmit the fine lines of the original closely enough so that an engraver had to finish the alvanized piece thereby interfering with the individuality of the originalartist.

I might say that the splendid properties of the galvanic current could not be brought to their highest efl'ectfor Want of a suitable receiving material, and this material I claim to have found in celluloid.

Celluloid has the followin advantages (1.) It can be pressed or b own in any desired shape and gives an absolutely true reroduction of the original. 2.) he cellul oid figure being hollow an very thin is ver light and easily handled. (3.) Celluloi is acid-proof, unbreakable and unchangeable, and can, if it is desired, be easily Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 4, 1908.

Patent-ed Apr. 16, 1912.

Serial No. 451,750.

removed out of the finished article by help of dissolving agents or fire.

The process of galvanizing with the help of celluloid is carried out as foll ws:The selected model is divided into any number of parts so that all the undercut lines of the original can be reproduced, there being no limit to the number of these parts, and a suitable mold is made in order to blow or press these pieces out of celluloid. The hollow celluloid patternsv thus produced are then united or joined, which is easily done owing to the great adhesiveness of celluloid, so that We have an exact copy of the original. The seams and joints are scraped and finished and the figure is coated with the usual conducting substance and the Whole is then put into the bath. The galvanic deposit may be produced on the inside or outside or on both sides of. the celluloid pattern, and if it is desired I can dissolve or burn out the celluloid after the metal coating is complete. v

leaving then solely a metallic copy of the original. In this manner I can produce thousands of copies all absolutely true to the original at a cost much lower than it has been done so far, and further obtain much better interpretations of the artists idea and handwork than have hitherto been possib c.

Having fully described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is The hereindescribed process for the manufacture of galvanic reproductions of articles of the plastic art, which consists in dividing the selected model, making suitable molds from the parts thereof, blowing celluloid in these forms to produce a. plurality of partial patterns of celluloid, uniting these celluloid parts to form 'a complete copy of the original, then coating saidcopy witha conducting substance and electro-depositing metal on the said conducting coating.

In testimonywhereof I haveherennto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

lARL BENSINGER.

Wiflness s:

W. LEQWEHN,

F. E. KEIPP.

flopiep'ut this patent may he obtained for live cents each, by addressing the "commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0." 

